3 comments about Power in the Darkness-2 lp's.

1. this was the band that left almost all the other so called punks in the dust...clash-fakes...pistols-great idea, not theirs though
   
   Tom Robinson and the rest of his band...all of them:
   Mark Ambler playing a Hammond b-3 through a leslie...yeah, that's right in a "punk" band, (can you imagine the poor bloke who had to schlep that gear around!?)
   Dolphin Talyor playing the fattest batterie you've ever heard...that's how to make that snare sound like a snare
   and,
   The incredible Danny Kustow on git...les paul custom through a marshall stack and it sounds like it...turned up to eleven
   
   With Robinson himself singing and playin' bass his band was left to have fun and fun they did have...Kustow's git is feedback drenched and he knows how to make a mess with all the right notes...his playing all through this album...even on the slower tunes, is some of the best emotional playing you will ever hear, barring none...page, clapton, hendrix, allman et al.
   I remember reading somewhere at the time that tom met danny while they we're both in some type of mental inst.(?)
   
   on top of that you have these fat organ(!?) fills trading off with him from Ambler. As you listen to the songs you're constantly amazed at how effectivly he uses the instrument.
   
   This band was circa the same time as the pistols and the whole "punk" movement ("punk movement" being a term made up by record co's to sell idle kids stuff) but...this band didn't just adopt a pose...as quoted in the definitive tome on said movement "The Boy Looked At Johnny"...
   
   "They are the first band not to shrug off their political stance as soon as they walk out of the recording studio. The first band with sufficiant, pure undiluted, unrepentant bottle to keep their crooning necks firmly on the uncompromising line of commitment when life would be infinatley easier
   -and no less of a commercial success-if they made thier excuses and left before the riot."
   
   They incited riots. They were leaders in the Rock Against Racism movement in England in the late 70's performimg and sponsoring free shows in places that didn't usually have stuff like that along with other politically aware bands like The Slits and Steel Pulse, among others.
   
   Very political lyrics...still relevent today, if not more so...but the git playing and the passion is what makes this album one of my top 5 all time.
   That's right top 5 all time. ( I must confess,i'm a sucker for a les paul through a marshall stack!) But I also like lyrics with cohesive thought and ideas.
   
   Produced by the same team that brought you Never Mind the Bollocks & the first Pretenders album.
   
   Sound is spectacular
   buy it dig it and learn



2. This reissue of Power In The Darkness contains many extra tracks making it in effect a Best Of or Greatest Hits collection of the Tom Robinson Band. The sound is aggressive rock straight out of the heyday of punk when the Sex Pistols, The Clash and Siouxsie & The Banshees were making waves in the UK. Of the new tracks, the cover of the VU's Waiting For My Man is the most impressive.
   
   Opening with the anthem Up Against The Wall, it takes the listener on a rollercoaster ride through the politics of those times, mercifully interspersed with some pure love songs and a dash of humor here and there. Gray Cortina and 2-4-6-8 Motorway are great rocking road songs whilst the protest number Better Decide Which Side You're On sounds dated now and Glad To Be Gay, probably Robinson's most famous anthem, has aged well.
   
   Power In The Darkness is basically a repetitive chant but there's a ver funny speech in the middle which still cracks me up after all these years. The song Now Martin's Gone dates from a couple of years later, in the 1980s, when his sound had changed considerably into a pop direction. The music isn't particularly innovative, it's just good old rock infused with punk fury, but Robinson's contribution is valuable for the great songs he created. Fans of artists like The Clash, The Jam, The Sex Pistols and The Stranglers will appreciate Power In The Darkness.
   
   Rising Free: The Very Best of Tom Robinson Band
   
   Having It Both Ways



3. I loved this album when it came out, and I love it even more nearly thirty years later. It is a good-rockin', tour de force by a bunch of English guys with political points to make. The lyrics are good, and at times dark and foreboding, but they bring out the turbulence of Great Britain in the late 70s. The propulsive power of politicized songs like "Long Hot Summer", "Winter of '79" and "Better Decide Which Side Your're On" is matched by the hard-drivin' rockers like "Grey Cortina" and "2-4-6-8 Motorway" (a big hit in England in early '78).

5 comments about Supermelodrama.

1. I started with Little Miss Sunshine and worked my way backward in DeVotchKa's discography. This album is a little different from their later work, with some musicians that are no longer with the band. But their unique sound started here, has carried on and become greater. Supermelodrama is more raucous, with more of an American indie-rock sound, but sets itself apart with violins, accordions, etc, and some cool guitars and beats. It's fun to hear, to sing, to dance to, and the lyrics are always great. I won't even bother comparing it, because it's unlike anything I'd ever heard before. There's not a bad song on the album.



2. Never having heard of this group until "Little Miss Sunshine", I was very pleasantly surprised with their cd. Our family plays all their cds constantly.



3. Wow! At a time when music on the radio is so stale and you think everything that can be done has been, this band comes along. Besides being excellent musicians, they put on an energetic live show and have a sense of humor. Extra points for the pink xmas lights on the tuba and use of the phrase "socially retarded" in "Danglin' Feet". Their music was described to me as "mariachi polka punk" with a hint of Ian McCulloch (Echo & the Bunnymen) in the singer's voice. Sounds like a strange combination, but it works! If you are looking for quality music, BUY THIS ALBUM!!



4. An excellent band. An excellent album. An amazing show. A cool buch of people. Buy it.



5. This album is by far one of the best underground albums I've ever heard. It is a very unique blend of Russian/gypsy style music and good ole rock'n'roll. The magic created by this Colorado band is a wonderful breath of fresh air in the mostly stagnant popular music scene of the last few years. I challange anyone to listen to this album and NOT be dancing their all over the place!

5 comments about Cheap Trick.

1. Cheap Trick are one of those bands that perform basic rock n roll, but have always done it in a way that sounds like no one else. The band consisted of the two poster boys Robin Zander (vocals, guitar) and Tom Peterson (bass), teamed up with two total geeks in Bun. E. Carlos (drums) and the every unique Rick Neilson (guitars). This foursome has been able to carve a nice little niche for themselves in the pop rock world over the years and it all started with this their debut album. This one is far from the band's best, but broke them out of the box as a band to be reckoned with sporting a totally new take on Beatles influenced rock n roll. The first half of this album is great with quirky songs like "Elo Kiddies", "Daddy Should Have Stayed In High School", "TaxMan, Mr. Thief" with it's obvious ode to the Beatles, "Cry Cry" and "Oh Candy" all great tunes. The second half of the album is not nearly as strong to my ears and seems to come off as a bit more conventional. Overall this was a decent debut from the band and a preview of what they would do down the line.



2. Cheap Trick... hmmmmmmm I dunno should I... gee I couldn't, I shouldn't, ohhhh please don't make me... welllll OK I guess!
   
   CT was one of the bands from the seventies that I couldn't get into but that may have been my fault as admittedly their image (album cover and television spots) bugged me. These guys' image was so darned goofy with a guitarist who looked like something from The Bowery Boys on meth. that I just couldn't take it seriously. And with a name like CHEAP TRICK I assumed they were a bad joke. Besides Rob loved them and musically speaking Rob was an idiot. He had (probably still has) everything Moxy ever put out.
   
   So is this album (CD) worth my hard earned cash for an AMAZON purchase and a place in my beloved digital collection? First of all I'll go to UTUBE and have a look/listen to "I WANT YOU TO WANT ME".
   
   Well that's not really bad and, despite the silly image, it's not laughable like the DWIGHT YOKUM version is. Let's download the MP3s and see...
   
   Oh... now I remember why I don't remember this. They were a cheap trick! It sounds very much like someone was looking for a new formula but didn't have any new ideas. The guitar playing isn't terrible but nothing remarkable by seventies standards or todays. The lyrics are banal, childish and overall uninteresting especially the "Daddy Should Have...." which is really nothing more than a pretty lame take off of Jethro Tull's "Aqualung". Vocally the whole thing sounds like a whiny Alice Cooper although Cooper's melodies were at least melodic whereas these are all half baked and forced. The Mondcello tune is probably the best on the title with some decent moments even if the lyrics are pure nonsense that go nowhere. Lovin' Memory is a Lennon influenced tune that might have been OK if it weren't such an obvious cash in on someone else's style.
   
   Yeah, CHEAP TRICK... I always suspected.



3. I had a copy of In Color and thought it was great...then I got Cheap Trick and knew what great really was! Raw, edgy, daring, different, POWERFUL, the list could go on and on. In my 35+ years of listening to rock music (starting at about 10) this album still ranks in my "top 10". And yes, that first copy of In Color was on 8-track. This is what non-comercial, American Rock,n,Roll is all about. If you don't like this album, you should have stayed in High School!!!



4. Cheap Trick's self-titled debut album is exceptional and is by far the rawest of their catalog. Tom Petersson's 12-string bass is way up in the mix and only adds to the album's rough edge. As for the songs, all of them are very good, even if most of them are only known by their hardcore fans. "Oh, Candy" and "Mandocello" are strong ballads that never get sappy while mid-tempo tracks like "Cry, Cry", "The Ballad of TV Violence", "Daddy Should Have Stayed in High School", and the cover of "Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace" are performed with passion and swagger. "Hot Love" and "He's a Whore" are as heavy as Cheap Trick got, bearing no resemblance to the pop/rock of later years. The remaining tracks, "Elo Kiddies" and "Taxman, Mr. Thief" are also very good, featuring Rick Nielsen's majestic sounding riffs. The bonus tracks are also very good, particularly early versions of "I Want You to Want Me" and "You're All Talk." All told, an excellent debut, second only to In Color as their best album, only because that disc has a lot more classic tracks.



5. A great piece of classic rock n' roll. Some tracks have a definite oldies feel to them, while others are a dirtier, grittier style of rock n' roll. Can't go wrong with either, in my book! My main complaint is that their studio sound is just a little too polished, and it takes the edge and rawness off of their sound.

4 comments about A Date With Elvis.

1. Originally released in 1986,as this was their fifth 'actual' record(is that all?).Either way,'Date With Elvis' showcases some great rockin' psychobilly for your listening pleasure.Just about every track here kicks ass,like the swinging "The Hot Pearl Snatch","What's Inside A Girl?","Can Your Pussy Do The Dog?","Cornfed Dames"(forgot all about this superb cut),the boot-stompin' "Chicken" and "Aloha From Hell".As with most Cramps releases,'Date...' is most worth repeated spins.Simply a must-have.



2. This album features the Cramps usual brand of rockabilly influenced punk (or punk influenced rockabilly), with a bit of surf music tossed in this time. This is one of the Cramps better albums. A lot of fun, raunchy songs like the classic "Can Your Pussy Do the Dog?". It even includes a rare lead vocal by Poison Ivy on "Get Off the Road". A must get for Cramps fans.



3. The cramps are truly original and this album is one of their best. Lux Interior does his best psychotic Elvis imitaion on tracks like "Can Your ... Do The Dog?" and the opening track features Poison Ivy's vibrato pulsing country blues licks. All this and no bass player just pure garage rockabilly punk that kicks you in the head. The lyrics will make you laugh too.



4. The Cramps have shown the world that they have been a force to reckon with over the last 20 years. With every album their intensity becomes stronger, but most of all more sick. That to me is the true spirit of rock and roll! A date with Elvis is my personal fave. Who can forget the classics such as "Can your pussy do the dog?", and Hot Pearl snatch." The Cramps are the only band that I can think of right a-way that have remained true to their rock and roll roots and vision. Having met Lux, Ivy, Slim and Harry I must say they have a very intoxicating presence, but most of all are very kind people. (They always put me on the guest list!!!). Buy this album!!!! AllenGator

5 comments about Singles Box, Vol. 4.

1. I must say, this is one of the best collections I've ever heard. There's enough here that you're not going to tire of it, and it contains songs from what many believe may be DM's best era.
   
   A few highlights...tough to pick just a few since there are so many goodies...I'll limit myself to 3:
   
   "Strangelove" mixed by Tim Simenon/Mark Saunders. Anyone else catch the riff from "People are People" in here? This is just one of the amazing mixes of the song.
   
   "A Question of Lust" live. It's not every day you hear Martin sing live, and this song is done perfectly here. I also like the way it ends, savvy DM fans will recall that the original on "Black Celebration" fades out.
   
   "Enjoy the Silence" Quad mix. This song compares with the "1812 Overture" in terms of being epic. Not only is it almost the same length, weighing in at over 15 minutes, it encompasses so many moods. I feel the best part is the orchestral--yes, orchestral--rendition of "ETS" in the middle of the song.
   
   You can't go wrong with this collection. Even if you aren't into DM, you're bound to find a few tracks you will fall in love with.



2. I couldn't be happier with this box set. It covers what I think is the begining of Depeche Mode's best period. There are a few remixes included here that I don't have on the original CD maxi-singles that I bought at the time of original release so I am thinking they might be from vinyl 12" releases or promo releases. The best thing about these mixes is that they don't stray too far from the original. Some may have slightly altered arrangements or tempos, but they aren't remixed beyond recognition, as so many modern mixes are. The vocals remain mostly intact, and the songs' original feeling and mood remains pretty much the same. Some would question the reason for purchasing such an expansive boxed set of singles when not that much variety is present in the mixes of the songs. For me, the biggest reward is often in the b-sides of the singles, and the live tracks. DM's b-sides are often as good as ( if not better than )their a-side counterpart, and this box set is a true treasure chest of undiscovered gems. One highlight is the Quad Mix of Enjoy the Silence, here presented in an almost suite-like manner, with seperate, completely different moods. It was previously only available in the US on 12" vinyl. Another is Dangerous, which is so good it should have at least been an album track. The vast quantity of great songs is a real testament to the abilities of Martin Gore, probably one of the most overlooked pop songwriters around . Overall not a bad price for half a dozen singles with well over 50 songs. An absolute must-have for a serious DM fan or collector.



3. Wonderdful continuation on the box sets of Depeche. the Only thing missing is the US 12" release of Behind the Wheel/Route 66 megamix!! Why is this track alwayd overlooked. it's far superior to the Shep Pettibone mix or the destroyed singlemix! This mix keeps the darkness of the original Lp version and combines it with the sinister cover of Route 66. other than this travesty, the box is complete from Depeche's shining years.



4. Una muy buena colección. el box set 4 trae muy buenos temas, además de traer unas remezclas espectaculares.
   No duden en comprarlo.



5. "Singles Box 4" is a box set that covers Depeche Mode's material from 1987 to early 1990. During this time, the Mode released six singles ("Strangelove," "Never Let Me Down Again," "Behind the Wheel," "Everything Counts," "Personal Jesus," and "Enjoy the Silence"), all of which are packaged here in their original artwork with all the b-sides and remixes as they were originally released. That means there are no unreleased cuts, no bootlegged remixes, or the like. Everything in this box set has been previously released. From 1987-90, Depeche Mode were establishing themselves as platinum superstars in America, where they released three albums: "Music for the Masses," the live disc "101," and the breakthrough smash "Violator." Highlights include the Phil Harding remix of "Strangelove," Shep Pettibone's slick remix of "Behind the Wheel," the house update of "Everything Counts," an excellent acoustic re-recording of "Personal Jesus," the should-have-been-a-single b-side "Dangerous," and a deep house re-working of the group's first American Top Ten hit "Enjoy the Silence" (the Bass Line). In terms of liner notes, there isn't much to report, though the CDs do come with a booklet that gives the complete tracklisting. No lyrics, no photos. On the plus side, it looks like these singles have been remastered, as I noticed some improvement in the sound quality. If you're a DM obsessive, then these singles are a must-own. Not only are they well-packaged, but they cover one of Depeche Mode's most exciting periods of their career.

5 comments about More Songs About Buildings and Food.

1. Talking Heads are great, but the Dual Disc format is really really lame. The Dual Disc is to thick to work on every CD player/CD drive. I tried it on my PC and it works some of the time and never on my laptop. It does work all the time in my dvd player and normal cd player. It works in my car but has trouble being ejected all the way (because of the thickness). If you are going to buy a dual disc I would suggest trying to make a copy to a normal disc ASAP, if you can. I don't understand the use for this format. If they want to include DVD audio/ video extras just put it on an extra disc. Also one side of the disc is always exposed so scratches can pile up real quick. The Dual Disc format is just not worth the hassle. 0 for dual disc format, 5 for Talking Heads.



2. 
   I have had an infuriating experience with Warner Music Group lasting a year, first, over the Rhino "Brick" box, and now the individual T-Heads DualDisc titles. My problem is physical damage to the discs, unnecessarily caused by obvious careless handling & packaging at the pressing plant.
   
   In the "Brick", the unique white jewel cases come gouged and scratched, and the discs in both the Brick and individually-packaged titles, have fingerprints, smears, scratches, and pits.
   
   This began last year when I purchased the "Brick" upon release. When I opened the set, every jewel case was damaged. These cases have a solid white rear panel, and can't be commercially replaced. They are not individually shrink-wrapped (which would eliminate the problem), and are obviously forcefully shoved into the box set's plastic outer shell at the plant, hence the damage.
   
   It was worse inside each jewel case: All of the discs literally looked like they were used. Several were so badly artifacted they couldn't be read in any player or drive.
   
   So, following web site direction, I e-mailed "Dr. Rhino". I received a reply, which directed me to return the set for replacement. As this is an expensive item, that entailed going to the Post Office to buy Insurance & Delivery Confirmation at my own cost. Annoyed, I decided to wait a few months, reasoning that perhaps the first production batch was bad and they would sell through. I stood in line at the USPS for 45 minutes, mailed it and waited. Six weeks later, the replacement showed up, carelessly packed into a crushed box, and the entire set was in worse shape than the first one. I e-mailed again, didn't get an answer for 2 months, and when I did, it was "send it back again"! The audacity of that response was pretty amazing: Why would I keep wasting my money and time to cycle their defective product?
   
   So, I contacted the CD store where I purchased the original set. All the TH titles had been released individually, so the store manager & I decided we would change out the box for the separate titles, and he would return the bad ones.
   
   I just received those yesterday: In five of the eight titles, all the same surface-damage artifacts. Several digipaks had their plastic disc retaining spindles broken with shards floating around inside. Also, inside each digipak, there is a 3.5"-square paper "DualDisc" tutorial insert. In some of the digipaks, it was tossed on top of the disc, where it rubs against the disc, an additional cause of surface damage.
   
   So, the store manager is going to continuously order in each individual title and open them, looking for virgin discs. He is going to return all the defective discs, and repeat the process going until he finds five clean discs. Which is pathetic.
   
   I've been thru three complete sets in one year, which means you are almost certainly going to run into this problem with your purchase. So, when you buy the Brick or any of the individual titles, please do not accept & settle for damaged product. Send it back to Amazon, e-mail Rhino, do whatever you have to do to get what you paid a lot of money for.
   
   This would have never happened, or would have certainly been quickly corrected, when Messrs. Foos & Bronson, who founded Rhino, were in charge. Unfortunately, in 1998, Rhino was swallowed whole and "WEA-fied" by the odious Warner Music Group, where CEO Edgar Bronfman is obviously far more interested in extolling the virtues of DRM than he is in running a business that can deliver quality.



3. Stop whingeing the lot of you! These remasters are brilliant. The Digipacks are fine. Maybe like me you'll want to put them in plastic sleeves to keep them pristine, but unless you treat all your possesions like dirt then they will last your lifetime. If the Dualdiscs aren't working in your gear then it's time to upgrade. The stereo remasters are as they should be, sounding full and rich and clear. I always held the 'More Songs...' album down a peg or two on my list of Heads favourites because sonically it seemed thin and weak, but not anymore! By returning to the multi-track tapes the 5.1 Surround Sound remixes have put the meat back on the skeleton. What a gem. Sometimes in surround mixes you can pick out individual sounds to the detriment of the overall blend and the ear feels let down by discovering the secret ingredients, but in the Talking Heads remixes some of those sounds are even more interesting in isolation but still entwine with everything else to preserve the intention of the stereo mix. How lucky we are to live in these times when technology allows us to listen to great music that's nearly 30 years old and have it sound better than it ever has! And aren't we lucky to be fans of a band called Talking Heads.



4. After hitting the ground running with their stunning debut, the Talking Heads decided to enlist the assistance of Brian Eno for their second album, "MOre Songs About Buildings and Food". In all likelihood, this was a wise move-- following up a debut as fresh and superb as "Talking Heads '77" was a difficult task, and in Eno they had someone who could grow their music. The partnership would last through the next two Talking Heads albums, a collaborative effort between Eno and Byrne ("My Life in the Bush of Ghosts") and Byrne's "Catherine Wheel". The one thing that's pretty much consistent throughout is that the union of Byrne and Eno produces high results.
   
   In many ways, all Eno did was encourage natural outgrowth from the last album-- certainly the debut record was a quirky and timeless effort and more than a superb springboard to work from and pieces such as "Stay Hungry" (in fact originally attempted for the debut left unused) and "Artists Only" recall the best of '77'. But Eno also seemed to encourage more diversity, pushing the band in a number of different directiosn-- opener "Thank You for Sending An Angel" uses march rhythms and high energy, "With Our Love" hints at Eastern European sounds and the Ramones, "Warning Sign" bubbles with a frantic power that sounds like the successor to Eno's "Third Uncle" and the cover of Al Green's "Take Me to the River" slinks into a deep organ groove with Byrne bringing a quite unexpected vocal to the table for the gospel-infused monster (and proved to be the first major exposure the band got). But perhaps closer "The Big Country" is the best of all of them-- Byrne sinks into a more calm and melancholy delivery over a laid back and yet somehow still energetic groove. Like the debut, there's some less than fantastic material, but even that is very listenable ("Found a Job").
   
   This reissue is in the dualdisc format with both the CD side and the 5.1 DVD audio side remastered to provide a crisp, clean sound that is a huge step forward from the early '90s issues of these albums. Additionally, both sides are augmented with bonus tracks-- four unused alternates (including the 1977 recording of "Stay Hungry") on the CD side and two live video clips on the DVD side. All in all, a quite worthwhile upgrade.
   
   The collaboration between Brian Eno and the Talking Heads would continue to yield superb results-- in many ways, this is as much a debut as the previous album was, and like the debut, is equally essential. Recommended.



5. Talking Heads didn't make a classic album with "More Songs About Buildings And Food", but they were working on it. This digitally remastered dual disc greatly improves the sound quality from the old cd version.
   
   The cd side sounds great in stereo, but it's the dvd side that will knock your socks off. When you hear "Thank You For Sending Me An Angel" in 5.1 surround sound it's like hearing it for the first time again. The other great tracks on this album are "The Good Thing", "Warning Sign", "Artists Only", "Take Me To The River" and "The Big Country". The dvd side also includes two live videos which is good if you missed seeing the Talking Heads in concert like myself.
   
   The four bonus tracks are all marked previously unreleased, and I know I've never heard these versions of four songs from this album. I actually liked the '77 version of "Stay Hungry". The alternate version of "I'm Not In Love" does nothing to improve the song, and the alternate version of "The Big Country" is more stripped down than the original, which didn't do much for me. The alternate version of "Thank You For Sending Me An Angel" is likewise uninteresting.
   
   The booklet comes with praises by different popular musicians and a note about the 5.1 remixing process by Jerry Harrison. The lyrics are not included like in the old cd version which I think was an oversight. The price of this remastered dual disc is steep and really ought to be more like $9.99.
   
   All in all, worth rebuying if you're a true Heads fan like myself.

2 comments about The Golden Hour of the Future.

1. Just what music should be. Some nice instrumentals. A bit of a sense of humour to the mix and good lyrics ( well most of the time ) and what you have is a compilation of tracks that float in your head with great tunes and melody. Amazing to think that in just such a short space of time the Human League would become synth pop's Abba and this work would go unheard of until now. Shame it went to waste. Oh well not to worry.....this compilation should have you enjoying this to no end.....if you enjoyed Reproduction or Travelogue that is

   PS The instrumental of Reach Out is fantastic. I never liked the lyrics to the damn thing but this instrumental confirmed what I always thought......great music ruined by the lyrics




2. Along with fellow Sheffield industrialists CABARET VOLTAIRE's "1974-76" and the London-based #1 industrial group THROBBING GRISTLE's "Very Friendly: The 1st Annual Report of TG", THE GOLDEN HOUR OF THE FUTURE represents an absolutely crucial and unquestionably pioneering point in the development and pre-history of British industrial music. The importance of the very fact that this CD includes amazing early recordings by both the pre-DARE!/"Don't You Want Me" line-up of THE HUMAN LEAGUE (unfortunately still not recognized for the amazing unit that they were, if nothing else for such tracks as "Being Boiled", "Blind Youth", "Toyota City" and their eerie cover of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" but also Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware's eventual roles in HEAVEN 17 and the B.E.T. plus their numerous production credits, including Ware's for Tina Turner!!!) but also the previously unheard (and not too dissimiler) group THE FUTURE (Ware, Marsh and future-CLOCK DVA mastermind the late great Adi Newton) cannot be understated. At last we can see just how CABARET VOLTAIRE, TG and THE HUMAN LEAGUE were true peers in both their breakdown and re-assemblege of their rock and roll pioneers/influences (The SEEDS and The BEATLES for CV, ABBA and The VELVET UNDERGROUND for TG and Phil Spector, Motown and Gary Glitter for THL but also KRAFTWERK for all three) but also their adaption of dada techniques, Burroughs and Gyson's cut-up methods, the adaption of the JG Ballard/Philip K. Dick science fiction now world theory embodied and refined by the use of strictly sytnhesizers and electronics plus the use of found sounds and field recordings from their own cities and surrounding areas all to paint an extremely bleak and too true modern vision of post-industrial revolution late-1970's Britain. While the SEX PISTOLS, THE DAMNED, THE JAM, BUZZCOCKS, THE CLASH and their comrades were out in front screaming and/or raising havoc and/or consciousness, THL, CV and TG were working on the inside, disassembling society and music from within and examining things from a more distant p.o.v., challenging their listeners and followers from a much greater perspective. THE GOLDEN HOUR OF THE FUTURE is a spooky, somewhat cold but supremely rewarding listen, from the near-hit single charm of "Dance Like A Star" and "Dada Dada Duchamp Vortex" to the humour of "Dominion Advertisement" (which makes as much sense today in our Prozac-riddled 21st century as it did in 1977) and the covers of "King Of Kings", "Once Upon A Time In The West" and the instrumental "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" (a near ode to Eno, ambient music and muzak) and experimentation of "4JG", "Year Of The Jet Packs" and "Daz". This lays the groundwork for not only THL's eventual THE DIGNITY OF LABOUR EP, REPRODUCTION and TRAVELOGUE LP's, but also fits in well with TG's 2nd ANNUAL REPORT and CV's "MIX-UP" LP and EXTENDED PLAY EP. Truly rewarding, fun and absolutely essential.

5 comments about Bang!...The Greatest Hits of Frankie Goes to Hollywood.

1. couldnt find it anywhere. but ordered it, got it undamaged, and enjoying it almost daily now!



2. Frankie Goes To Hollywood was possibly the ultimate in created new wave bands. They made a huge controversial splash, charted one of the most successful singles in the history of the UK and flaunted their homosexuality so blatantly that the Village People would have been proud. "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" was one of the biggest selling double albums in Europe. "Frankie Say..." T-Shirts were everywhere. Brian DePalma directed their video. Then suddenly, it was over. Their second album, "Liverpool," sank like a rock, and the two major figures (Holly Johnson and Paul Rutherford) in the group embarked on minor solo careers. Even so, FGTH meteoric rise and just as rapid fall is marked by songs that still sound as anthemic and ridiculously over the top as they did in 1984-86. They even managed to capture a classic song, in the hedonist anthem "Relax."
   
   That is what "Bang" captures. Thirteen songs are split nine from "Pleasuredome" and four from "Liverpool," each with Trevor Horn's kitchen sink productions and Holly Johnson's drama queen vocals. Horn, who had just started his ZTT label, had learned his lessons with Yes quite well. Both "Relax" and "Two Tribes" were huge sounding records that still have that grandiose distinctiveness of both progressive rock and Hi-NRG dance music. There was nothing else like them, and coupled with the hyper-aggressive marketing, nothing could resist their sonic onslaught.
   
   Once you get past those two signature songs, it is amazing what Frankie had left to say. Granted, the lyrics were sometimes beyond bizarre ("here comes a supernova, what a push-over!"), but the ferocity of "Rage Hard" and the sheer sexuality of "Welcome To The Pleasuredome" do offer proof that the group did have a bit more to them than Horn and hype. The same can not necessarily be said of the band's choice of cover songs. While "Ferry Cross The Mersey" is lightweight enough that it sounds fine in the band's version (and I once read an interview where Gerry Marsden expressed his gratitude to FGTH for making it the B-Side to "Relax," making him an almost instant million in royalties), the decision to cover "Born To Run" seems more like an ego-disaster. Weird thing is FGTH still rock the crap outta the thing, even if Springsteen probably didn't lose any sleep over these guys nicking his signature song. As for Edwin Starr's "War," I always found it interesting that Springsteen covered it and released it as s single later on. Life can be funny that way.
   
   That said, the thirteen songs here sound wonderful even now. The comic-book politics of "Two Tribes" (remember the great video of Ronald Reagan Vs Konstantin Chernenko?) and the uber-gay sexual pronouncements of "Relax" make you almost long for music that was happy to not play it safe, even if it meant your career was going to flame out.
   
   PS. One small gripe. "Bang" has almost nothing by way of liner notes, even with the multifold graphics inlay card. it would have been nice to have a little perspective on the band from someone, maybe a member of even Trevor Horn.



3. The record you receive is not the one described on the site - it's only the 13-track version, not the fifteen.



4. I originally bought the CD for 'Relax', which was a big hit in the 80's especially in England. With the exception of a few other hits, it doesn't have much to offer. I was looking forward to the re-makes of Bruce Springsteen's songs, but you can't compare. Basically, if you don't have the CD with 'Relax', then it might be worth it; otherwise there are better ways to spend your $$$. B



5. Ron Hardy was a DJ in the Chicago area back in the early 80's. Welcome to the Pleasuredome was one of his theme songs. I had to have it. Oh my gosh, don't let me start singing "When Two Tribes Go To War". I'm lovin' it!

5 comments about New Order: Item.

1. great DVD
   Tracklisting A COLLECTION:
   1. Confusion
   2. The Perfect Kiss
   3. Shellshock
   4. State Of The Nation
   5. Bizarre Love Triangle
   6. True Faith
   7. Touched By The Hand Of God
   8. Blue Monday '88
   9. Fine Time
   10. Round & Round
   11. Run
   12. World In Motion
   13. Regret
   14. Ruined In A Day
   15. World
   16. Spooky
   17. 1963
   18. Crystal
   19. 60 Miles An Hour
   20. Here To Stay
   21. Krafty
   22. Jetstream
   23. Waiting For The Sirens' Call
   
   ALTERNATE VERSIONS
   - Round & Round - USA / Patty
   - Regret - Baywatch
   - Crystal - Gina Birch version
   
   PARIS / BEIJING
   - Ceremony
   - Temptation
   
   LIVE 1981
   - Temptation - from 316
   
   PROGRAMME
   - personal playlist
   - A Collection - website
   
   NEW ORDER STORY
   1. Transmission
   2. Love Will Tear Us Apart : the original with Ian Curtis
   3. Ceremony
   4. Temptation
   5. Blue Monday
   6. Touched By The Hand Of God
   7. Bizarre Love Triangle
   8. Confusion
   9. Shellshock
   10. State Of The Nation
   11. The Perfect Kiss
   12. True Faith
   13. Round & Round
   14. World In Motion
   15. Fine Time
   16. Regret
   17. Temptation
   18. Everyone Everywhere
   19. Ruined In A Day
   20. World
   21. Atmosphere
   
   great price for a great DVD collection



2. I hate to part company with the other reviewers here, as well as the Amazon comments but this NOT a must have.
   I am huge fan of New Order and Joy Division and think they are one of the most important modern western popular bands of the last, almost thirty years for all their well-known contributions to existentilism and furturism in alternative, independent rock. Basically inventing post-punk, being one of the inventors of the dance-music, electronica scene a decade before most other bands and accidentaly inventing "goth" music along the way.
   Not to mention being excellent musicians with a very artsy, deep and humorous sensitivity.
   
   But, because they are such a good band it is glarringly obvious that the "rock video" is nothing more than a corporate music business era chore that bands just have to do as part of the job.
   
   Film critic Rodger Ebert once said the rock video is "empty."
   
   Here, they aren't so much empty as New Order's music is so good, just pointless.
   I find myself almost angry that a beautiful song such as "Ceremony" would have such a terrible video like this(incidently, I do not know what the viewer below is talking about...there is no original version of the "Ceremony" video...just this thing). An aweful, unwatchable piece of useless garbage featuring a fellow walking around with a trashbag on his head. I guess that is a reference to the thought process of music video directors. Not sure what else it could be. I could only stomach 40 seconds of this filth. I'm afraid after listening to this tune for more than ten years, both Joy Division's and New Order's...the images in mine and in other musician's heads will have to do. Unwatchable. Trash.
   The new "Tempation" video....embarrasing.
   
   Watch their concert videos, go see them live or better yet, think for yourself.
   
   There are a few winners..."Confusion" is a classic and a great video as well as little bit of music history.
   
   "Perfect Kiss" is cool but I've seen it enough and life is short.
   "Touched By the Hand of God" is very funny..but ..again..life is short.
   The only thing I hadn't seen before and actually kind of liked was the Gina Birch "Crystal"..that was a slightly cool workday music industry bit. Not important art in anyway....but better than Franz Fernidad peeing on an art gallery wall like the Nazis used to do.
   
   Videos?
   
   As for the documentary on the other disc. This is much better but is almost 13 years old. There are some excellent Joy Division clips here. Why don't we have a full DVD of all the Joy Division footage in the world yet? You get many of the same videos on the other disc played in full again on THIS disco too..in case you're someone like me who hated them enough the first time.
   Some great stuff, a bit of live Joy Division, great early live versions of 'Blue Monday", "Tempation"..and yes.."Ceremony".
   The interviews are great as New Order speaks like real musicians and their collaborators are an interesting bunch making up a lot of what urban nightlife music culture has been from the late seventies until today on both sides of the Atlantic.



3. I have just received this outstanding two-disc DVD set today, and it is indeed the New Order "Item" product and not "A Collection" as incorrectly listed here on Amazon's product page.
   
   This two-disc "Item" DVD set includes both "A Collection" and "New Order Story."
   
   To reiterate, I ordered ASIN/Amazon product number B000ANVNHQ as listed on this page and received the two-disc DVD set titled "Item."
   
   Below are the contents of each DVD.
   
   Disc 1, "A Collection" contains the following videos:
   
   Confusion
   The Perfect Kiss
   Shellshock
   State Of The Nation
   Bizarre Love Triangle
   True Faith
   Touched By The Hand Of God
   Blue Monday '88
   Run
   World In Motion
   Regret
   Ruined In A Day
   World
   Spooky
   1963
   Crystal
   60 Miles An Hour
   Here To Stay
   Krafty
   Jetstream
   Waiting For The Siren's Call
   Round & Round - USA/Patty
   Regret - Baywatch
   Crystal - Gina Birch Version
   Ceremony
   Temptation
   
   
   Disc 2 contains the documentary "New Order Story."
   
   
   This is a must-own set for New Order fans.
   
   Repeat: this product is "Item" and not "A Collection."



4. Son dos discos de colección, con los videos de las mejores canciones de esta banda inglesa, en el primer disco vienen los videos incluyendo los últimos como Krafty!!!...lo que si es una lástima es que el documental incluido en el segundo disco no tenga subtítulos...bueno, en resumen si eres fanático de esta banda y te gusta la onda new wave...que esperas?



5. For almost thirty years, the collective group known first as Joy Division and then New Order have made an impact on the world of pop music that is interesting and profound. Shunning the very trappings of fame that most bands would kill for, they have remained true to their own elusive muse.
   
   The music videos they've made have always been stand-outs. From the early hectic nature of "Confusion" to the slickness of "Bizarre Love Triangle" and the explosive "True Faith" and the oddity of "World", the boys and girl of the band have never made a dull video. Sure, some aren't as great as others ("Shellshock" and "World In Motion" spring to mind), but the overall effect of having every NO music video ever made including the new ones from "Waiting For The Siren's Call" is more than worth the occasionally bad video.
   
   And the additions of new videos for classic tracks like "Ceremony" and "Temptation" (as well the infamous "Regret" on the beach with the cast of Baywatch) is fantastic.
   
   If that wasn't enough (and I'm assuming the reviews are for ITEM, the two-disc collection), you get the 1994 "NewOrderStory", which is by far one of the most interesting (if obtuse) "documentaries" ever committed to film. As weird and wonderful as the band themselves, it makes a perfect companion to the 2002 film "24 Hour Party People".
   
   All in all, this is a must for any NO fan. The only grumbling point I would have is the non-inclusion of the few Joy Division live performances or the video for "Love Will Tear Us Apart", but the NO Story has two scenes from the band's early days with Ian Curtis as well as the video (which is interrupted by an annoying frontman from a certain band named after a US spy plane from the Sixties).
   
   So if you love groundbreaking music videos and getting a look at one of the most enigmatic bands of the modern rock era, ITEM is for you. You can't go wrong with New Order.

5 comments about Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits Of The '80s, Vol. 4.

1. With Volume 4 of the Just Can't Get Enough series Rhino really got their act together. Leading off with Devo's greatest non-hit ever "Freedom Of Choice", this disc rarely lets up and only occasionally stumbles. The Boomtown Rats "Up All Night", doomed Phil Seymour's "Precious To Me", and the Translators "Everywhere That I'm Not" all make for legitimate reasons to buy this disc, but the two killers are The Members early MTV staple "Working Girl" and The Monroes "What Do All The People Know". Try finding THOSE somewhere else. One other great song that could have been a huge plus to this collection was The Kings "Switchin' To Glide/This Beat Goes On" but THEY CUT HALF OF IT OFF!!! Whose idea was that? No matter. Search under The Kings on Amazon for the debut album and hear it like it was meant to be heard.
   The stumble? The God-awful "Tainted Love" which has been known to cause loose stools in laboratory mice. Avoid at all costs.



2. I'm busy collecting this terrific series by Rhino. Volume Four is the fifth CD in the series I've added to my collection and is so far the best. Everything you associate with the new Wave era of the 1980s is here. Generals and Majors by XTC captures the Cold War doom and gloom of the Reagan years (those years seem rather innocent now). Love and Lonliness by the Motors gives you synth pop at its best. Solid New Wave sound can be found in the Kings Switchin' to Glide and the Undertones It's Going to Happen. I really like Workin Girl by the Members and What Do All the People Know by the Monroes. Also represented are Devo with Freedom of Choice and Soft Cell's Tainted Love (Both of TV commercial fame). The twelve cuts here really show the range of New Wave music. Some of it is lighthearted and meant for fun while others take things quite seriously. I look forward to completing the set, but doubt any of the others will match this one!



3. hi i'm helen from greece



4. This CD is a pretty good compilation of hits from the era of new wave. I must agree with prior reviewers that this does seem to be the only way to get The Monroes "What Do All the People Know". It is a shame that this compilation only includes the second part of The Kings song "Switchin' to Glide", failing to include the first part of this song the "Beat Goes On" is a large disappointment. This oversight is what led me to only rank this CD as four stars. On the positive side, even though most of these songs are available elsewhere, this CD is a quick way to acquire a number of great tunes without doing a long search. Such tunes as "Working Girl", "Tainted Love", and "Generals and Majors" make this CD a must have for the fan of new wave.



5. Fairly typical mix of 80's new wave stuff and one-hit wonders, but this album's one saving grace is the inclusion of the lost classic "What Do All The People Know" by the Monroes. This song is one of the all-time greats, even if it is ever so slightly edited here. Another compilation contained the song, but this CD seems to be the only one still available. So snap it up, Monroes fans!